Did you know that the OPD is paying a private contractor, "Get Polygraphed!" run by one Mercedes Orozco, to the tune of $195,000 for Jan 1, 2015 through Oct 31, 2016, to administer polygraphs as part of their recruiting process. This is up from the previous contract for $95, 000, "for Additional Polygraph Tests Needed To Meet Hiring Demands... For A Total Of $595,000 For Five Years". On Feb 16, 2016 the item was on the "consent calendar" and was approved by the city council.

First of all, this is absurd. Polygraphs are pseudoscience that has no place in the evaluation of police candidates, let alone any other candidate for any other position in any line of work. The Employee Polygraph Protection Act makes polygraph tests of  employees illegal for most lines of work, but "the EPPA applies to most private employers. The law does not cover federal, state, and local government agencies."

What is the city council and OPD doing giving money to this kind of anti-science garbage?

 

  1. http://oakland.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?M=F&ID=13b594d2-fe05-4bf5-8d40-bed289f0da1f.pdf
  2. http://www.dol.gov/whd/polygraph/
  3. http://www.getpolygraphed.com/
  4. http://www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/eppa.htm#who